Shoe-cleaning attachment for automobiles, &amp;c.



IVI. R. HATFIELD.

SHOE CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES, c.

APPLICATION FILED APII.2B, I9Ie. A

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MATTIE R. HATFIELD, OF .WICHITA, KANSAS.

SHOE-CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOB, AUTOMOBILES, &c.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aufl". 29, 1916.

Application filed April 28, 1916. Serial No. 94,152.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTIE R. I'IATFJELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at I'Vichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShoe-Cleaning Attachments for Automobiles, &c.; and I hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

This invention is a novel improvement in shoe cleaning or wiping devicesfor automobiles; and its object is to provide a simple attachment whichcan be readily secured to and beneath the step, or running board, of anordinary automobile; and when it is desired to use the cleaner it can bereadily projected from beneath the step into position for use; and afteruse it can be readily pushed back out of the way under the step, and beconcealed when not in use and while the vehicle is being transported.

The attachment is eilicient, sightly, and compact.

I will explain the invention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, which illus trate one practical embodiment thereof; and willset forth in the claims the essential features of the invention andcombinations of parts for which protection is desired.

In the drawings: Figure l is a view showing the position of the devicewhen attached to an automobile step. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan viewof the attachment detached, with the drawer open and brush ready foruse. Fig. 3 is a side view of the attachment as applied to a step, withthe drawer open. Fig. it is a longitudinal section through theattachment Fig. 2 on line 4 4, closed. Fig. 5 is a transverse section online 5-5 Fig. 4. Figs. G and 7 are details.

rIhe attachment comprises an outer casing l, preferably made of sheetmetal and open at top and front and closed at back and sides; the sideshave top flanges l, and front flanges 1b. The sides are also providedwith longitudinal slots lc for a purpose herein after explained. In thebottom of the box may be one or more openings le. This casing is adaptedto be secured to and under the running board or step S of an automobile,or other vehicle, as indicated in F l; and may be fastened thereto inany suitable way, preferably by means of hanger straps at front, and bybolts or screws 2 extending through the running board and throughopenings lr in the flanges la, if desired. The hanger straps areattached to the front flanges l" and have upper horizontal parts 3adapted to engage and overlie the front upper edge of the step, as shownin Fig. 4E and the vertical portions 3 of these hangers may be rivetedto the flanges Ilb so as to per* manently secure same thereto. By meansof these hangers the front end of the casing, (whereupon the greateststrain is exerted when the brush is used) is securely suspended from thestep. The upper ends 3 of the hanger may if desired be let into lerfs ornotches in the top step; and they can be conveniently fastened to thestep by means of screw-bolts 3C tapped through brackets 3f secured tothe sides of the box beneath flanges l and adjacent the front flanges 1b"t (see Figs. 3, 5 and 6) so that the screws can be convenientlymanipulated.

If desired the lower ends of the hangers 3 may be extended rearwardlybeneath the lower ends of the flanges l", as indicated at 3e, and theseextended portions 3e may be connected to the sides of the box by meansof angle-irons 3g riveted to the parts 3C and adjacent sides of the boxas shown in Fig. 6.

blidably mounted within the casing l, so as to telescope therewith, is abox or drawer d which is preferably made of sheet metal and may beclosed at front and rear. Preferably a plate a is attached to the frontend. of drawer d and extends sul'liciently to project over and cover theend flanges l1 of the casing when the drawer d is closed and said platemay be exteriorly linished or decorated in any desired manner.

The drawer il is preferably made of sheet metal, and its front edge mayserve as a scraper. Its sides are preferably concaved or notched as at4: near its front end, and between such concave portions 4b, andextending transversely of the drawer, is a brush or brushes 5 which maybe of any suitable kind and placed in the drawer between the concaveportions Il" of the sides thereof, but the brush need not extend morethan half the length of the drawer and, if desired, it can be removablysecured in the drawer by any suitable means. As shown the drawer isprovided with a transverse partition le against which'the inner edge orside of the brush lies, the brush being held between the partition l andthe front end of the drawer. As shown the brush 5 is a lli concave brushhaving a wooden back 5a adapted to easily fit in the front compartmentof the drawer. The brush may have openings in it so as to permit dirt towork out through the brush and escape through they opening lG ifdesired, and its sides may be slightly tapered, as shown, so that dirtcan work down and pass out through the opening le. Any other suitablekind of brush or brushes may be used.

rlhe drawer el is preferably made slightly narrower at bottom than attop so that if any dirt should fall out of the drawer into the casing itwould work down and escape through openings le, and the drawer notbecome chocked in the casing.

To prevent the drawer being entirely withdrawn from the casing it may beslightly retained therein by any suitable meansy preferably bythumb-bolts 6 which are adapted to pass through the slots 1 in the sidesof the casing and through apertures in the sides of the drawer and havereduced threaded portions 6a that engage nuts 6b inside the drawer, seeFigs. 2 and 7. The bolts 6 are shouldered so that they can tightlyengage with thenuts without binding in the slots 1F. If desired sleeverollers 6 may be placed on the enlarged portions of the bolts betweentheir heads and threadedk ends, so that these rollers will act as guidesinthe slots l", and will not be bound against rotation by the tighteningof the bolts 6.

The drawer may be provided with any suitable means to hold the drawer inclosed position, when it is not desired to use same: a catch 7 beingindicated adapted to engage a keeper 7L attached to the step.

It will be seen that the device can be readily attached to the step ofan automobile in the most convenient position for use by personsentering or leaving the same.V

When it is desired to use the brush the catch 7 is disengaged and thedrawer drawn outward to the limit permitted by the slots l43 (see Figs.2 and 3) which will permit persons to clean their shoes by drawing themacross the brush, longitudinally of the step. After the shoes arecleaned the drawer can be pushed inward by the foot, and the catch willhold the drawer closed until it is again desired to use the brush.

What I claim is:

l. A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising acasing adapted to be suspended beneath and from a vehicle step orrunning board, a drawer slidably mounted in said casing and having itssides notched, a brush in the drawer between the notched portions of thesides thereof whereon shoes can be wiped by draw- 'ing same transverselyacross the drawer, and

meansto retain the drawer in the casing.

2. Abrush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising acasing adapted to be suspended beneath and from a vehicle step orrunning board and having longitudinal slots in its sides and an openingin its bottom, a drawer slidably mounted in said casing and having anopening in its bottom adapted to register with the opening in the casingwhen the drawer is closed, a cleaning device in the drawer, and meansattached to the drawer to engage said slots and retain the drawer in thecasing.

3; A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising acasing adapted to be suspended beneath and from a vehicle step orrunning board and having longitudinal slots in its sides and an openingin its bottom, a drawer slid ably mounted in said casing and having aplate on its front end adapted to cover the front of the casing when thedrawer is closed, the sides of the said drawer being notched, a brush inthe drawer adjacent and extending between the notched portion of thesides thereof, and means attached to the drawer to engage said slots andretain the drawer i'n the casing.

4. A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising ametallic casing having hanger straps adapted to engage the front edge ofthe step and suspend the casing therefrom, clamping bolts attached tothe casing adjacent the hangers adapted to engage the underside of thestep and secure the casing in position, a slidable drawer mounted insaid casing, a cleaning device in the drawer, means for limiting thewithdrawal of the drawer from the casing, and means for holding thedrawer in closed position.

5. A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising ametallic casing having slots in its sides, hanger straps attached to thefront of the vcasing and adapted to engage the front edge of the stepand suspend the casing therefrom, a slidablc drawer mounted in saidcasing, a brush secured in the drawer, means attached to the drawer andengaging the slots in the casing for limiting the withdrawal of thedrawer from the casing, and means for holding the drawer in closedposition.

6. A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising ametallic casing having front and side flanges and` slots in its sides,hanger straps attached to the front flanges of the casing and adapted toengage the front edge of the step and suspend the casing therefrom, aslidable drawer mounted in said casing having notched sides, a brushsecured in the drawer intermediate the said notched sides, meansengaging the slots for limiting the withdrawal of the drawer from thecasing, and means for holding the drawer in closed position.

7. A brush holding attachment for automobiles and the like comprising aeasing having flanged sides and front ends, and longitudinal slots inits sides; clamp plates attached to the front ianges of the casingadapted to hang over the edge of the step and suspend the front edge ofthe casing thereunder, bolts attached to the easing adjacent the clampsto secure the easing in place7 a drawer slidably mounted in said casingand having a front compartment, the

sides of this compartment being notched, bolts transfixing the slots andengaging the sides of the casing and secured to the sides of the drawerto retain the drawer in the casing, a brush in said compartment, andmeans for retaining the drawer in closed position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature.

MATTIE R. ITIATFIELD.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

